Expert: Joe Norman - 6/30/2011

Question
Hello,
   I read the answer about the differences between the church of christ and the catholic church, which in turn led me to this question. Both churches believe god is one yet three? I do not grasp that concept of god through scripture, which I was hoping you could inlighten me. God saig lets make man in our image and yet we are only one person and not three?

Answer
Hi Dennys,

I do thank you for choosing to ask me your question. Now although the majority of people who are members of the church of Christ do believe in and understand (as best as we can) the concept of the "trinity", it would be wrong to assume everyone within the church believes and teaches it.

However, I am one who believes the concept of God being three persons in one God is clearly taught in the Bible and undeniable. I also believe that because our minds are limited in what we can truly comprehend, I don't think anyone alive can FULLY understand the complexity of God.

The best way I can explain it is by having you consider the atom. There are three main parts that make up one atom. There is a proton, a neutron, and electrons. These three things make ONE atom. There is ONE God but three persons making up the ONE God. I have done a very detailed and thorough answer on this topic before and if you want a more complete study of the "trinity" please search through my past answers. I don't mind being thorough and giving you the same effort in answering you now, but my time is more limited right now than it normally is because I am in school working on a bachelors' degree in Computer Networking.

You did mention one passage of which I use when I teach on the trinity. God did say when He created man, let US make man in OUR image. You are correct that we are one person and not three...but we are made up of three parts which is a "likeness" of God. We have a physical body, a soul, and a spirit. Now some might protest and state that soul and spirit are the same thing. But if such is true, how do you explain this verse?

Heb.4:12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

Clearly the human soul and the human spirit are two different things. Here is another evidence that there are three parts to us.

1 Thess.5:23 Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

I know that even though we have three parts to us...a body, soul, and spirit....you are saying, but we are not three persons. As I stated before, we are not made exactly like God. We are made in His image meaning we are similar. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit are both able to be separate persons while at the same time making up one complete God.Our finite human fleshly minds are not able to fully comprehend this but there are too many passages in the Bible for us to truly deny that God is made up of three persons.

I know this is a difficult concept to wrap your brain around, but I believe to deny that God is made up of three persons is to ignore large amounts of God's Word which is truly wrong. Please search through my past answers and read what I have posted in the past on this topic.

May God bless you richly. I know He is happy to see your desire to learn all you can about Him and His plan of salvation for us all.

In Christian Love, Joe Norman